Well hello there pretty little bakers! It’s been a while – I’ve sure missed you!

A quick little update on my life, then we’ll get to where we really want to be – BAKING! 😉

I recently got a new job as Maria Menounos’ executive assistant and since September, my life has changed drastically. From attending red carpet events to meeting incredible celebrities to becoming a freakin’ ninja, I’m starting to master it all. I could still work on my wardrobe, yeah, that could use a massive update. But for now, I’m pretty darn happy with how hard I’ve been working.I love staying busy and learning new things – and gosh am I constantly being exposed to new exciting opportunities! Watch out 2017 – we’re coming at you with a bang!

Granted, I don’t have as much free time to bake. But when I do, boy oh boy do I cherish the moment.

Especially now around Christmas time. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Baking should be had almost every single day! Well in previous years, I would bake every day, but now, I don’t have much time to bake. (Guys, I haven’t even set up my Christmas tree in my apartment! How sad is that!!!)

Recently, Maria and her fiancé Keven Undergaro hosted a movie night at their house where we watched “It’s A Wonderful Life.” If you haven’t seen it – DO IT! Such a classic.

Now what kind of an assistant (and baker) would I be if I didn’t bring over homemade treats? So… OF COURSE I DID! I made these chocolate chip cookie cups with homemade fudge in the middle. After they cooled, I thought they could use a little touch of Christmas spirit, so I decorated some of them to look like Christmas wreaths!

The wreaths are made out of green melting chocolate, sprinkles, and a heart garnish at the top. You know me with the crunch – I loooooove anything crunchy, so adding the sprinkles made all the difference in the world. 😉

One tip – I also used mini chocolate chips. Since these chocolate chip cookie cups were made using the small cupcake pan,
I figured mini semi-sweet chocolate chips would be the best fit.

These can be made for any holiday and can be decorated however you want! (Should you choose to decorate!) For spring for instance, I’m thinking this cookie cup could be a sweet sunflower with the fudge in the center and yellow chocolate to act as the petals. Or even another wintertime idea would be to add a pretzel loop to the side and add mini marshmallows on top so it looks like a cup of hot chocolate! Speaking of… A small cup of hot cocoa sounds delish with these cookies…

But hey, if you want to keep things simple, the OG chocolate cookie cup is a great way to go! They still taste phenomenal!

Once you’re done making these cookie cups, keep them in an airtight container for up to one week. Bon appétit!

In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar until it’s light and creamy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Add the chocolate chips and stir.

Roll the dough to about 1-inch balls and add to each tin. You will not end up using the entire second muffin. Bake for about 8 minutes. When the cookies are golden brown on the sides that touch the muffin tin. Keep an eye on them, an extra minute in the oven may burn the entire batch!

Immediately after removing the muffin tins from the oven, use the opposite end of a spatula and gently press down into the center of each cookie cup, making an indentation to fill with chocolate later. Let them cool completely.

For the chocolate center:

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt together the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate chips. Once melted, stir in the vanilla.

Moving quickly, fill a Ziploc bag (sandwich bag) with the chocolate, cut the tip off, and fill each cookie up. The chocolate will start to harden with a shell on top so be sure to pipe quickly. If needed, reheat the mixture.